Ohio War Veteran, Retired Engineer Living with Alzheimer's to Testify in Washington D.C.

Alzheimer's Association
Wednesday, 8 May 2002

Ohio resident Robert Entwisle, a 71 year-old retired research engineer, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at age 65 and forced to retire from his job, will urge lawmakers to increase federal Alzheimer research funding by $200 million to find a prevention and ways to better treat this devastating disease at a May 9 Congressional hearing in Washington, DC.

Entwisle, a resident of North Canton and a Korean War veteran, will testify before the House Labor/ HHS/Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee on Thursday in room 2358 of the Rayburn House Office Building, at 9:45 am.

Six years ago, Entwisle was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. "I worked in the field of electric motor design for 37 years, and my supervisor was the first one to notice that my work was not up to its usual high standards," Entwisle said. "After bouncing from doctor to doctor taking test after test, I was told I had Alzheimer's disease. I was completely stunned."

"The diagnosis led to my premature retirement, at the age of 65," he said. " I never planned to retire so young. My career was very important to me, and I was looking forward to working many more years."

Entwisle is currently enrolled in a new clinical drug trial through the University Hospitals of Cleveland. Married for 20 years, he and his wife Alice are active in two early-stage support groups led by the Canton Area and Akron Tri-County chapters of the Alzheimer's Association.

"After I retired, I volunteered tutoring students in reading," Entwisle said. "I really loved working with them, until the time came when my students knew more than I did, and I had to give it up. That was a very sad day for me."

"I also sang in the church choir," he said. "After I was diagnosed with Alzheimer's it became more and more difficult to read the music and turn the pages. It wasn't long before I had to give up the choir too. There went another joy in my life."

"I worry about what the future will bring as I need more and more care and watch my finances dwindle," Entwisle said. "I have two wonderful daughters and a beautiful granddaughter, and I don't want them to face the uncertain future that I must face. Time is running out. Alzheimer's has already touched one generation of my family, but if we act now, we may be able to prevent it from striking again."

Entwisle is not alone, according to new Peter Hart Research Associates poll released last week. An overwhelming number of Americans, 95%, say Alzheimer's disease is a serious problem facing our nation. A majority, 57%, indicate that they are personally concerned about getting the disease, an increase of ten percentage points from a decade ago.

The poll also reports that Americans express strong support for increasing the amount of government funding dedicated to medical research for Alzheimer's disease. Seven in ten likely voters, 68%, say that it is important for there to be a major increase in the amount of funding allocated to finding an effective treatment or a way to prevent Alzheimer's, with 74% calling for Congress to increase federal funding for research to $1 billion a year, up from the current $598.9 million annual allocation.

Currently, 4 million Americans have Alzheimer's. Scientific projections, based upon population, show that at current rates, the number of Americans with the disease will grow by 350 percent by mid-century. An estimated 14 million baby boomers today are living with a sentence of Alzheimer's disease. For most of them, the process that will eventually destroy their memories, their savings and their lives, has already begun.

"I fight this disease every day," Entwisle said. "I struggle to do the buttons on my shirt, and I can no longer tie my shoes. I had to stop driving a year ago. The loss of my ability to get in the car and run an errand has been devastating. I have a wonderful library of books that I can no longer read or understand, although I still enjoy leafing through the pages. Sometimes I have trouble talking; I can't get the words to come out of my mouth. I'm very angry, but I will not give up."

Entwisle has a degree in electrical engineering from Ohio State University and an MBA from the University of Akron. Until 1996, he was a research engineer for a Fortune 500 company. He has two daughters and one granddaughter. Entwisle is currently taking one of the four approved drug treatments for Alzheimer's, at a monthly cost of over $200.

The federal government's current investment in Alzheimer research has already begun to pay off. Scientists have developed new drugs to treat some of the symptoms, and have found evidence that cholesterol-lowering drugs may lower the risk of the disease.

The largest private funder of Alzheimer research, the Alzheimer's Association has committed more than $100 million toward investigation into the causes, treatment, prevention and cure of Alzheimer's.

The Association is the premier source of information and support for the 4 million Americans suffering from Alzheimer's. Through its national network of chapters, it offers a broad range of programs and services for people with the disease, their families and their caregivers and represents their interests before federal, state and local governments and with health and long term care providers. You can reach the Alzheimer's Association at (800) 272-3900.

For more information, or to contact Alzheimer's Association, see their website at: www.alz.org